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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Occupational health and safety

Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program: Black Lung Screenings
Fact sheet describing a program intended to study the causes and effects of coal mine dust lung disease and to offer early detection and prevent progression of the disease. Provides information on health screenings available at mobile testing units that travel to communities and mining sites.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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American Indian and Alaska Native Worker Safety and Health Strategic Plan
Highlights a strategic plan for researching occupational safety and health of American Indian and Alaska Native workers. Provides a step-by-step guide for conducting and disseminating research on the health and safety risks of AI/AN workers, as well as crafting safety policy for tribal communities.
Author(s): Elizabeth Dalsey, Robert Foley, Sarah Hatcher, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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Outcomes of Farm Compared to Nonfarm Pediatric Injuries: A Propensity-Matched Analysis
Compares the outcomes of pediatric injuries received in farm and non-farm locations. Looks at a number of factors, including length of hospital stay, admission to intensive care unit, and mortality. Breaks down data by sex, race, and pediatric trauma-level designation, among other measures.
Author(s): Michael C. Larkins, Ashish Khanchandani, Dmitry Tumin, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(2), 383-391
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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A Review of Occupational Safety and Health Research for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Presents a literature review of occupational health and safety research discussing American Indian and Alaska Native workers. Breaks down data by National Occupation Research Agenda sector and details studies by type, objective, and findings.
Author(s): Kaitlin Wingate, Elizabeth Dalsey, Deborah Poling Scott
Citation: Journal of Safety Research, 84, 204-211
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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A Feasibility Study of Augmented Reality Intervention for Safety Education for Farm Parents and Children
Interviewed 10 Maryland farm families to determine the need for and experience using augmented reality (AR) technology for the promotion of safety on the farm for children. Describes the creation of an AR program.
Author(s): Kang Namkoong, John Leach, Junhan Chen, Jiawen Zhang, Bryan Weichelt
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 903933
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Farmworker Outreach Promising Practices: Lessons from the Field
Highlights ten different promising practices in farmworker outreach and discusses some of the lessons learned from each. Evaluates the ability of outreach programs to address the healthcare needs of the farmworkers served.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Outreach Partners, National Center for Farmworker Health
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Equity Action Plan 2023 Update
Offers overview of 7 equity strategies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) including promoting rural prosperity, access to USDA programs, nutrition security, wildfire prevention, increasing access to federal funding, tribal sovereignty, civil rights enforcement, and more. Highlights equity progress updates and accomplishments. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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A Cross-Sectional Study of Alcohol, Opioid Use, and Anxiety in Agriculturally Based Occupations
Surveyed 1,791 rural Midwestern agricultural workers to determine opioid and alcohol use, anxiety, and risk factors for alcohol use. Discusses the impact of age, marital status, gender, and other demographic factors on the findings.
Author(s): Christine Chasek, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Rachel Rutt, Ashley Olson, Aaron Yoder
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 816-823
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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The Fifth National Climate Assessment
Report outlining the impacts of climate change in the U.S., discussing impacts to both the physical earth as well as society, economics, and health sectors. Offers a look at both national topics of interest as well as the current and future risks at a regional level. Chapter 11 addresses agriculture, food systems, and rural concerns. Chapter 16 addresses Indigenous Peoples.
Date: 2023
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Global Change Research Program
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Communities, Climate Change, and Health Equity: Lessons Learned in Addressing Inequities in Heat-Related Climate Change Impacts: Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief
Summary of a National Academies' Environmental Health Matters Initiative workshop in June 2023 discussing health equity for heat-related climate change. Highlights challenges with data gathering, recent policy changes, capacity building, and partnerships. Includes discussion of rural specific challenges, occupational health for farmworkers and other outdoor workers, and healthcare access.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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